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As a Singaporean, I’m proud to say that we have an abundance of local farms producing food to feed our people, despite being a small country. It saddens me to know that Fire Flies Health Farm, which is one of the few remaining family-run organic vegetable farms, will be closing down on 30 July 2022. Their hawker stall, Thunder Tree, which sells traditional Hakka thunder tea rice will also run its last day of operations on 30 June 2022— a double tragedy for them.
Mr. Chai Kien Chin, who is the owner of the farm, was a TCM physician before he became a vegetable farmer. Fire Flies Health Farm, which is located at Lim Chu Kang, does not make use of pesticides. They grow organic vegetables such as spinach, kailan and endives. Higher costs of operations and increasingly stringent rules have made things difficult for Mr. Chai to keep the farm running. Sadly, the lease for the land will be expiring without renewal, and they’ll be forced to vacate their farm.
Thunder Tree is their hawker stall which previously had two outlets at People’s Park Centre and Raffles Specialist Centre. Their last remaining outlet is located within level three’s Food Republic at Vivocity, which began operations early this year. It’s really sad to see it closing as well due to the fact that Fire Flies Health Farm’s lease will be expiring.
The stall is tended by Mr. Chai’s children and the food is prepared with ingredients such as leafy greens and herbs, which are obtained from their very own organic vegetable farm. They even have a mini display selling their vegetables directly from their farm.
On their last weekend (26 to 27 June 2022), their Vivo hawker stall will have a wider variety of specials such as Pineapple Tempeh and Jade Barrel Yong Tau Foo (a bitter gourd stuffed with a variety of fillings).
Let’s extend our support and encouragement to Mr. Chai and his family as they’re counting down the days before their vegetable farm and hawker stall cease to exist.
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